The Happy Spring
This is a story from ''Popeye'', the original series published by Dell in 1948. The series was later renamed to Popeye the Sailor as it continued with other publishers. It has also been reprinted in other comic books by other publishers since then. __TOC__ 'Synopsis' The water from a magic spring on a distant island turns Popeye and Olive into babies and Swee'Pea into an adult. 'Plot' Popeye is on the sixth week of a sea voyage with Swee'Pea and Olive. He is informed by Swee'Pea that there is no more water. Popeye is shocked because he loaded fifty casks in the hold before they set out. He goes below with Swee'Pea to inspect their supply and finds all are empty. This presents a problem because they are thousands of miles out to sea without water. Popeye tells Olive the bad news and then sets course for an island five hundred miles away to get water there. Two days later, Popeye and Swee'Pea are feeling the effects of thirst, but Olive is fine and dandy. Popeye commends her for being so brave to endure her thirst, only to find out she has been hoarding a whole bucket of water for herself. Popeye and Swee'Pea dash off to get some of it, but Olive orders them to stop. She insists that, as gentlemen, they should allow a lady to have all the water. She never even considered that a true lady would not keep water from little Swee'Pea. Instead, she goes into her cabin and uses the last of the water to wash her hair. Popeye is disgusted with her and calls her a dame. Luckily for the three of them, Swee'Pea spots an island that was not on any of the charts. They drop anchor all row out to search for water. Popeye decides to split up to search so he sends Olive in one direction while he and Swee'Pea head out in the opposite direction. Olive is the first to find a small pool with a fountain of water springing from it. When she drinks form it, she instantly becomes younger, until she is a little baby. Popeye and Swee'Pea have no luck finding water on their side of the island, so they turn around to find Olive. She hears them coming and hides because she does not want them to see her as a baby instead of warning them about the dangers of the water. They both drink the water and Popeye turns into a baby like Olive, but Swee'Pea turns into and adult. Now that everyone has fallen under the spell of the water, Olive comes out of hiding. Popeye changes clothes with Swee'Pea while Olive's shirt makes a good baby dress. Now that Swee'Pea is an adult wearing adult clothes, he starts bullying baby Popeye and Olive. He starts by giving both a spanking for talking back to him. Next, he orders them back to the ship and makes the babies do all the rowing. Back on board, he makes them do all the work and wait on him like servants as he relaxes in a hammock. When he barks an order for more lemonade, Popeye tries to teach him a lesson. He takes the pitcher of lemonade and climbs a mast up to the crow's nest. He drops the pitcher and it lands on Swee'Pea as he yells for more lemonade again. Unfortunately, Popeye slips and falls out of his perch, landing on Swee'Pea to knock him out cold. When Swee'Pea wakes up, he punishes Popeye by sending him to bed. A week later, when they are back home, everything gets worse for the two babies. He makes Popeye carry all the supplies home and then forces him to do all the chores around the house for another week. Popeye stops working when Wimpy comes to the house for a visit. Wimpy talks to Popeye through the window and reminds Popeye he is fighting Slum Slugger in the ring tonight. The sailor invites Wimpy in, to his friend's shock upon seeing him turned into a baby. Popeye goes on to tell Wimpy the whole story about the water. Swee'Pea then walks in and scolds Popeye for talking instead of working. Swee'Pea tells Wimpy he has taken over all of Popeye's businesses and is the new boss. Popeye suggests that since Swee'Pea is the new boss then he should fight Slum Slugger. Swee'Pea is so afraid of the fight that he starts to shake and turns back into a baby, leaving Popeye to fight Slugger in the ring. A few hours later, Popeye is in the ring getting pounded so Olive feeds him spinach. He becomes an adult again to win the fight, after which Olive gets some spinach too and they both go home to punish Swee'Pea for mistreating them. Last Updated: / / Category:Comics